In a tightly packed St. Michael's Cathedral, in front of family, friends, five-dozen priests and a community of faith, Roldan became Fr. Roldan as Cardinal Thomas Collins laid hands on the young man who a few years ago just wanted to be a math teacher.

The new calculus of Roldan's life now includes a call to evangelize. Collins preached the centrality of evangelizing the culture at Roldan's ordination Mass.

The Church now exists within a culture that doesn't know or understand the transcendent, let alone Christ.
"We're swimming against the stream," said Collins.

To be a priest is to be both a pastor who loves God's people and an apostle who reaches out to the world, Collins said.

"A priest is not his own. We are priests of Jesus Christ," he said.

Catholics expect a great deal from their priests, said Collins.

"We want apostles on fire and we want pastors who love," he said. "That's what the people expect."

A month ago Roldan told the Serra Club he had learned to lean on the Lord.

"But at every point, the Lord was always there," he said. "All I had to do was follow Him."